University Recreation’s new equipment investment prioritizes individualized student workouts and modern exercise trends

Kalamazoo, MICH. - For seven days a week, four semesters a year, the Student Recreation Center is buzzing with activity. At any time of day, basketball and pickleball games can be heard from the courts below, layered with the encouraging cheers of F45 coaches pushing their students to new levels of strength or the pulsing bass of a Zumba class.  

At the heart of this constant stream of activity are the weight and cardio rooms on the second floor. From open to close, a steady influx of students works out here, lifting weights between classes, attending personal training sessions, or capping off their busy days with a quick bodyweight workout.  

This popular, high-traffic space underwent a significant revamp in August, utilizing an approved $175,000 budget for a complete overhaul of the existing weight and cardio rooms. 38 pieces of existing equipment were updated with the latest line of equipment from Matrix Fitness, giving new life, improved ergonomics and smoother functionality to student's favorite machines. One new cable crossover unit and ten brand new pin-select and plate-loaded machines previously

 unavailable at the SRC were also added, including a Seated Leg Curl, Glute Trainer, Hip Thrust, Rotary Torso, Supine Bench Press, Standing Calf Raise, Standing Arm Curl and more. The new equipment was chosen to add variety to the gym setup and simultaneously meet the increased demand for more lower body-focused equipment. 

“It’s going to be really great for our students to be able to have access to this new equipment,” says Jordan Olson, associate director of facilities and programs. “The old equipment was going on 11 years old. It was out of its warranty and reaching the end of its useful life. We really wanted our students to be able to have access to functioning equipment that met industry trends.”  

Fitness routines and workout trends have changed since 2014 when the SRC was last updated, with University Recreation staff seeing a large-scale shift from cardio-heavy workouts to strength training. According to Chris Voss, director of university recreation, COVID shutdowns and restrictions in this same timeframe contributed to this shift and made a lasting impact on the types of workouts students enjoy. In the absence of access to a full gym, many learned to exercise with what they had on hand and began focusing on bodyweight and functional exercises, something University Recreation staff made a point to address in their equipment overhaul. 

“There’s still a lot of students that like the big machines and the plate-loaded and pin-select, but many students have learned how to work out with less equipment,” Voss explains. “We’re seeing a lot more body weight workouts and a desire for the more functional training side of things that they can also do in their apartment or in a small space.” 

To meet both needs, an additional three fitness bays and two fitness posts were added to the cardio room, each with a variety of accessories like kettlebells, dumbbells, resistance bands, TRX suspension trainers and heavy bags, all of which are ideal for individual or small group workouts. The reorganization and equipment additions also proved to be more spatially efficient for the gym’s layout.  

Students now have both the space and the equipment they need to follow along with their favorite fitness influencers or complete self-guided workouts on their phone.   

“Prior to the reorganization, people were just kind of finding spaces wherever they could to do some of those individualized workouts,” says Voss. “And now, whether it’s in the weight room or the cardio room, there’s ample space for students so they don’t feel like they’re on top of one another.”  

Only a few weeks into the fall semester, Olson adds that the new equipment and reimagined space have “already made a noticeable difference in how people are working out in the building.” The increased floor space and adjusted machine orientation has also provided new opportunities for personal trainers to have more access for their clients’ individualized workouts. From a facilities management standpoint, the new equipment will even have an impact on how quickly heavily used machines are repaired. 

“Now that we have new equipment that is under warranty, one big benefit students should see is shorter lead times on equipment being down or out of service,” Olson says.  

Outside of the investment in overall student well-being and facility enhancement, the revamp aligns with the department’s role in recruitment and retention efforts. According to Voss, as fitness and gym memberships continue to be a large part of high school students’ lives, the facilities they have access to as a college student increasingly play a role in the decision-making process.   

“We know that the rec center is a highlight of tours,” he says, “so making sure that, in the recruitment phase, (prospective) students are seeing things that attract them to Western is important. We want to make sure that our equipment meets the needs of those students as well.” 

Altogether, the financial investment into new and updated equipment continues to support University Recreation’s goals of promoting physical, mental, and emotional well-being and healthy campus living.